Encounters shortlisted for Arts & Health South West Prize

Encounters Arts, who led the creative engagement for the Torbay project Ageing Well, is one of only 8 organisations in the running for three awards of up to £5000 in the 2015 Arts & Health South West Prize.

Encounters designed and delivered Ageing Well, a creative consultation and engagement process on behalf of the Torbay Community Development Trust, to address issues of social isolation in older age and to explore with the community what the ingredients might be to Age Well.

The project reached over 1000 people in Torbay, an area known for having a large proportion of its population aged 50+ and where there are an estimated 6,000 socially isolated older people. The creative process led by Encounters which included the design of an Ageing Well Tool Kit, the Ageing Well Road Show and an exhibition in Torbay Hospital, was recognised by the Big Lottery as a key factor in the success of the £6 million bid submitted by the Torbay Community Development Trust.

Simon Sherbersky, Lead Officer of Torbay Community Development Trust said: “We are delighted that the Ageing Well project and the work of Encounters has been recognised through the Arts & Health South West prize. The imaginative engagement process captured hearts and minds and was a vital part of the successful bid to the National lottery, giving voice to those in our community that are often least heard.”

The shortlisted engagement project was delivered by Encounters artists Ruth Ben-Tovim and Jo Salter. Encounters was selected from more than 50 organisations competing for the prize, awarded by Arts & Health South West (AHSW). AHSW is a nationally recognised, registered charity which promotes the use of the arts to encourage health and wellbeing.

Ruth Ben-Tovim, Creative Director at Encounters Arts said:

“We are really proud that our creative work with Torbay Community Development Trust on Ageing Well has been shortlisted. This was a real partnership project involving a wide range of organisations and volunteers from across all sectors who came together to work with our Ageing Well Tool. It is wonderful to have the contribution and involvement of over 1000 local people within the ageing well project acknowledged in this way.”

The judges faced a challenging task in selecting the shortlist. One of the panel, Frances Chinemana, Associate Director of Public Health, Wiltshire, said:

“Arts organisations and health trusts are working together to develop creative and innovative interventions, designed to help some of the most vulnerable groups. I am hopeful that increasing the profile of arts and health and its effectiveness through the AHSW prize will add to commissioners’ understanding of this work, and encourage them to mainstream it as part of public health provision.”

The winners will be announced at a prize giving event at Bristol Museum and Art Gallery on June 8th.

For more information visit http://www.encounters-arts.org.uk/